Choices . . .

 

READ 1 Corinthians 13–16

Reading 1 Corinthians helps me remember what my old life was like and that I’m not living like that any longer. These chapters produce conviction and joy. The conviction is about how unloving I have been . . .

Lord, forgive my selfish pride in the times my words and actions have been mere noise without caring about helping others, only looking good. Sometimes I have been impatient, unkind, envious, boastful, arrogant and rude. I often insist on my own way, am irritable and resentful, rejoice at someone doing wrong (even me) and not excited when confronted with the truth. I’ve often been unable to bear certain behaviors in others, or believe in them or You, and sometimes lose hope things will change or go better. My endurance level can be low and short. (1 Corinthians 13:1–7) This is not love and I must admit it, must forsake such selfishness. If I really love You, I will be eager to show Your love to those around me. And these chapters give many examples:

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. (1 Corinthians 14:1–3)

How many times have You given me knowledge and words and I uttered them without considering their effect on others? Too many. You want me to build up, encourage and console, and how can I do that unless my focus is on teaching or revealing something for their sake, not to impress them, but to forsake my selfishness.

I’m thankful for good teaching and experience concerning speaking in tongues. Like Paul, I “would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue” and do not forbid it, but realize the rules are clearly laid down and know Your priority is that your people do things “decently and in order” rather than in chaos or the personal excitement of having this experience.

The most joy comes from knowing the Gospel. It is this truth that is called that of “first importance” and simply stated: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4) Forgive me for not sharing this good news when I should and not always putting it in ‘first importance’ — the greatest priority in my life.

For I am the least of Your children, unworthy to be called a Christian because I’ve done nothing to earn or deserve it, but even worse, thinking that I could do something that would make me worthy instead of realizing how foolish that is and how much I need grace, even totally depend on it. I’ve worked hard at times, but not always by grace. Too often it was me trying to prove something rather than “the grace of God that is with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:9–10)

I’ve heard Christians say, “If all this is not true, at least we’ve lived a good life” and agreed, but only briefly because Your Word says, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:17–19) I realize that genuine faith abandons a life of selfish I wants, and gives up indulging self to serve others. If I live otherwise, I’d be just like the person who says, “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die” rather than be like You who bids me to:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant . . . . (Philippians 2:3–7)

Living for me is easy and requires no exhortation or encouragement. However, You say this to me:

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58) and “Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)

That old life, the former me, lived for things that had no eternal value and was always motivated by selfish I-wants. Taking care of myself is not forbidden, but with Christ living in me, I have far more options!

 

What to do with your ornaments . . .

 

READ Exodus 33-36

One of the most delightful courses taken in seminary taught me how to see Christ in the Old Testament. The professor was centered on Jesus and could point out His presence from many passages. Today, I see a pattern of in the OT that parallels what Jesus does in saving people and building His church, the Body of Christ, as described in the NT.

One detail stands out; the OT saints had heard the commandments and were chastened for breaking them. They were ready to move on when the Lord said to Moses:

“Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’ ” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. (Exodus 33:1–6)

Ornaments are what people put on themselves, sometimes for beauty, sometimes to display their wealth. It’s not too hard to see them as symbols of self-effort, self-aggrandizement, the things I do to make myself look good and to show off my skills and abilities. The NT is filled with instructions to “take off” or “put off” all the stuff of self. This is an important part of my journey with God.

After that, the people were motivated by God to give what they had toward building the tabernacle. Among the contributions were “brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects” and other items including skills, whatever their hearts moved them to bring as a freewill offering to the Lord. (Exodus 35:20–29) This giving continued until Moses had to stop them for “the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, ‘The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.’ So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, ‘Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.’ So the people were restrained from bringing.” (Exodus 36:3–6)

These craftsmen were also appointed by God who “filled them with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach . . . .” (Exodus 35:30–35)

In building the body of Christ, the NT speaks of the Holy Spirit giving gifts for the task. It says,

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them . . . . (Romans 12:3ff)

It also says God gifted His Body with “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11–13) Just as He gave workmen to use the gifts of His people in the OT, some of which had been used before for selfish reasons. God’s plan for our skills, our “ornaments” is this:

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10–11)

For me: Simple — use whatever God gives me to build His Body, be a blessing to others, and to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.